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tances between the awl marks on matched pairs, and add for tenons. Don't be alarmed if stretcher lengths are not equal. It doesn't matter. Cut stretchers to size, turn them on the lathe and sand them. Fit the stretchers to the legs Just as you fit leg tenons to the seat, stretcher tenons must be matched to leg mortises. Wrap legs and stretchers in aluminum foil, except the tenon ends, and put them in a kiln, such as a gas oven with the pilot on. The tenons should come to near zero moisture content, and the rest of the leg should retain enough moisture to shrink around the tenons. The pieces should feel faintly damp when you unwrap them. File a small amount of material from a tenon on one of the stretchers in the radial planes. This intentional slop is where swelling will take place once the pieces are joined. Chamfer the end slightly. Try the fit in a sera p that can be split off the tenon if it gets stuck. If the tenon slips in easily, it's too small. If the tenon won't penetrate with moderate hammer blows, it's obviously too big. Judicious filing works. Or put the piece back on the lathe. When the tenon fits tightly, record its diameter with vernier calipers and prepare the others. For boring holes in the legs, a reliable holding system is a must, no easy matter with tapered stock (see the top right photo). Drill all the holes in the legs using a bevel gauge and a mirror. As for jigs, you don't need them: Your hands and eyes are capable of more than enough accuracy. Assemble stool, and level legs Once you're sure all the joints will align and fit right, glue the stretcher assembly first. Pound parts together with a mallet. Be quick; the tenon is swelling. After legs and stretchers are together, place the seat upside down on blocks on the bench, and swab the mortises lightly with glue. Work glue into the tenon kerfs, and wrestle the assembly into place. Pound legs alternately, stopping when the sound changes. Turn the stool over. Hammer in glue-smeared wedges. Cut small wedges to fill in any smaller gaps. Let the glue dry before trimming tenons. Scrape and sand the seat smooth. Set the stool on plate glass. Make sure it's level and steady, blocking it up if not. Mark all around, saw off tl1e legs on the marks and chamfer the edges. 0 At her farm in New Castle, Va., Harriet Hodges makes Windsor chairs and stools. Colored tabs make a quick visual index of one part of the stool to another. The author supports the seat on scrap blocks when pounding legs in place. July/August 1997 61 Dry-:fit the legs to measure the stretchers. Stretchers are cut to fit; it doesn't matter whether all the stretchers are the same size. • Wedges and dogs hold the legs in place when boring holes for the stretchers. Three dogs hold the workpiece firmly at a comfortable height off the floor.